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VANCOUVER — A ruling was publicly released today granting Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini a sealing order on his divorce file to protect confidential financial information about his business interests.

Aquilini sought the sealing order on three grounds, arguing there was also a real risk of substantial harm to the children of his marriage with Taliah Aquilini and to a daughter from a previous relationship.

He claimed the sealing order was needed because the divorce proceedings require a valuation of his interest in corporations, partnerships and trusts that are owned and controlled by his family.

He and his family asserted that public disclosure of closely guarded financial information will impact on their privacy and would likely cause serious harm to the family business interests, and serious harm could result from the release of financial information that is the subject of business confidentiality agreements with third parties.

To support his argument, Aquilini filed in court the affidavits of Canucks CEO Victor de Bonis and David Zimmerman, general counsel for the National Hockey League.

In 2007, The Vancouver Sun estimated the Aquilini family's business holdings were worth $5 billion.

The Canucks hockey team, which is owned by the family, is worth an estimated $300 million and the arena and land another $200 million.

The Aquilinis want to build a number of residential towers surrounding the arena.

The majority shareholders of the Canucks are believed to by Francesco's parents, Luigi and Elisa Aquilini.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein granted an interim sealing order, ruling that only the parties and their counsel will have access to the contents of the divorce file until a final hearing is held on Aug. 23 and 24.

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